The Emperor of Nothing
by OConner8
Summary: When a coup leaves the Empire leaderless, Rokugan is plunged into civil war. The samurai of Rokugan struggle to face enemies both mortal and monstrous, while an ancient conspiracy manipulates events from the background. If they fail, all of creation may die.
1. Chapter 1

" _Like a fossil tree_

 _From which we gather no flower_

 _Sad has been my life_

 _Fated no fruit to produce."_

-Minamoto Yorimasa, poem written before his seppuku, 1180

1123, 13th day of the Rooster

Otosan Uchi

Huseo yawned as he plodded his way through the gardens of the Imperial Palace. It had been a lovely party, and a beautiful performance by the Jade Tear, the Emperor's personal acting troupe. Unfortunately, he had missed most of the third act, as that was when he realised he could have as much Sake as he wanted and no one would care. There was still a pleasant buzzing sensation in the back of his head.

He was a lucky man, it could not be overstated. In his fine green kimono proudly displaying the Tortoise Clan mon, his slick, oiled hair, and his elaborate makeup he looked like a veteran courtier. Not a man who had arrived in court a mere two weeks before. There were plenty in his clan who had a head for numbers, he was by no means the best. The Fortune of Fate had apparently decided he was worthy of some attention, and so he had ended up as a manager in the Imperial Treasury.

He was not complaining. Better a lucky man than a smart one. Huseo had everything a man could need; status, wealth, and enough influence not to get beheaded. The only thing missing was his wife. She had stayed behind at their estate near North Hub Village, and although that was not too far away, his duties kept him too busy to visit, and she was busy dealing with their three children, the youngest of which was barely a year old, and-

A scream echoed across the palace, disrupting Huseo's chain of thought. It was not a happy, excited scream that one might expect to come from a party. It struck Huseo as being more a terrified one. Odd.

It was probably all in his head.

Huseo stumbled through the garden, trying to find his way in the dark. His quarters were in a rather distant part of the Forbidden City, and no torches were lit. Most people were still at the party. Being a bit tipsy did not help matters.

"Halt!" someone cried out. Out of the darkness an arrow-thin woman emerged. She was wearing armor with the Scorpion Clan mon, and had a daisho on her hip. "Where are you going?" she demanded angrily.

"I was going back to my room. To sleep," Huseo told her, wondering why she would wear full armor in the Imperial Palace, "Is there some sort of trouble?"

"Go to your quarters and stay there. Do not leave until you are given permission," the Scorpion woman ordered. She brushed past him and continued toward the party.

As she walked into the darkness, Huseo furrowed his brow. Katana were generally not permitted to be carried openly in the Forbidden City, except for the Emperor's guards. Wakizashi were fine, he had one on his hip right now, but he could not remember the last time he had seen someone with a katana, unless a duel was imminent.

Huseo went after her, stepping more lightly and sticking to the shadows. As a boy he had snuck into the pantry and stuffed himself with sweet rolls. He was still somewhat pudgy. As he grew older he started creeping around the docks, following sailors to sake houses and listening in, hearing the latest gossip.

That had been years ago, and a scorpion warrior was hardly the same as a few drunken sailors, but Huseo moved as silently through the darkness as he ever had, and she did not seem to notice him. The garden seemed like it was built for hiding a sneaking, and she seemed distracted.

Several more screams came from the party. They were fearful. Something was clearly wrong. The Scorpion drew her blade and took up position at the far end of the garden. Huseo took up position behind a cluster of trees, where he had a view of the whole courtyard.

Huseo's mind raced. It seemed like she was standing guard. But it the party was under attack, she would be rushing towards it, not standing in a garden. What if they enemy was outside the Imperial Palace, and she was standing guard to make sure no other enemies got in? That did not follow. She was facing in, towards the palace. So she must be guarding against someone coming out. It had to be someone or something specific though, or else she would have stopped him when they bumped into each other.

A baby wailed. The sound of running feet approached. Heavy breathing. The scorpion tensed. Whoever she was waiting for had arrived.

A large man with a small bundle in one arm and a katana in the other came rushing into the garden. He wore the armor of a Seppun Guardsmen, and his kimono was soaked in sweat, despite the night being cold.

"Traitor!" he shouted upon seeing the Scorpion woman, charging without hesitation. She blocked his first mad swing and struck back, cutting him in the armpit. They went back and forth several more times, the Seppun coming off worst. Moonlight bounced off their blades, sometimes silver, sometimes red.

Huseo could tell it was not a fair battle. The Seppun was exhausted, and the baby in his arms (for that is what it must have been) kept squirming. Huseo gripped his wakizashi. He was no swordsmen, had no armor on, and his blade was half the size of theirs.

The scorpion feinted, aiming a blow to the Seppun's head before twisting around, slashing his leg. Blood flew, and the Seppun fell to one knee, blocking a series of other blows, entirely on the defensive.

She was going to kill him.

Huseo slowly slid his wakizashi from its sheath. It was a traditional weapon, to be used for honorable suicide. And Huseo could not be sure if he was using it for its intended purpose or not. No longer bothering to move silently, he rushed from the bushes and crossed the distance in five great strides. She barely had time to glance in his direction before his first strike.

Unfortunately, she moved faster than Huseo thought possible, bringing her sword up to just barely knock his sword to the side in time. Then she went on the attack. With a single flurry she sent the wakizashi flying out of his hands, and left a bleeding cut across his chest as she did so.

But the attack was not in vain. She had to concentrate on him for a few moments, and in that time the Seppun stabbed his sword into her side. She screaming in pain then fell to the ground, bleeding heavily.

The Seppun was still on one knee, bleeding from many wounds. He thrust the bundle towards Huseo. "Take the child. The Scorpion have launched a coup. They had weapons hidden at the party. Killed anyone who resisted. They killed the Emperor. Killed the Emperor's eldest son, and his daughter. This boy is the only member of the Imperial family left. He's the Emperor now."

Huseo took the child in his arms. He had a chubby face, fat fingers, and thick black hair. And he was crying, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Hush, hush child," Huseo said in the soothing tone he always used with his own children. The boy continued to cry.

"You escape with the Emperor," the Seppun ordered him, standing, "I'll hold them off."

"You will do no such thing, Huseo told the guardsmen, "If they have another guard posted further ahead, the Emperor is dead, not to mention me. With you we will at least stand a chance."

"I'll slow you down."

"I would rather be slowed down than dead," Huseo informed him, snatching up his wakizashi, "Besides, you will do the empire very little good as a dead man. In life there are always possibilities. Now come on, no time to argue."

Huseo supported the Seppun as they limbed through the garden, and reflected on how quickly fate can reverse one's fortunes.


	2. Chapter 2

1123, 14th day of the Rooster

Otosan Uchi

Tomi woke with a scream. She was tied down, immobile, trapped. Something was inside her, rearranging her insides, tearing things apart and stitching them back together. Her entire right side was on fire.

"Be calm girl! Be calm! You are a Scorpion and you will be calm! The kami must finish their work!"

They were killing her! These were not the kami! They could not be! Tomi kicked and writhed, screamed and cursed. She was drowning in an ocean of red. Her body was being ripped in half!

And then a cool wave rushed over her, settling her nerves and easing the pain. It was like falling into bed after a long day. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings.

She was in a small room that was crowded with mats, and other hurt Scorpion samurai. Some of the samurai were covered in bandages, others were being attended to, and a few were dead. The smell of blood, piss, and fire clung to the air around her. The the open window glaring light shone into the room. It seemed to be around midday.

An old man with a long, ragged face was looking down on her. He wore golden robes with bloodstains around the sleeves, and based on the bundle of scrolls hanging from his back he was a Shugenja. A Shugenja she knew as Ichido.

"I am sorry for the discomfort," he apologized, "The Kami can heal wounds and they can ease pain, but they cannot do them both at the same time. It is always shocking, the first time you go through it."

"The child… I had him," Tomi said, clutching her side and feeling a mass of dried blood, but no wound. Not even a scar. "I could have killed the guardsmen, but then some fat tick attacked me." She clenched her hands into fists. "Damn that fat tick to Jigoku, I would have gotten the child!"

"Yes, maybe you would have," the Shugenja said, unlocking the straps that had held Tomi down during the Kami's healing. "But because of your failure there are already rumors that the Imperial Family was not wiped out, that our plot is foiled before it begins. We are of course saying the opposite, but the fighting in the outer districts is fierce. Many good scorpion have died."

Tomi slowly got to her feet. Another failure. She was becoming well known for them. When Bayushi Shoju, the Clan Champion and her uncle, had given her the task of guarding the West Garden, it was because no one thought any survivors would get that far.

"Your mother requested that after your healing you report immediately to the Throne Room. The Great Lord is holding court there."

"Why does she want me there?"

"I am a healer, I do not ask questions."

Tomi's kimono was covered in her own blood, and had a gash down its right side, but she could not find another one. Her daisho was in the corner, along with the slim armor that could only be hers. To call Tomi thin was an understatement. She was gaunt, with hollow cheeks leading to a triangular jaw, and a small, boney shoulders. She looked like she was made of angles and nothing else. Her eyes were hollow and dead. She covered her face with a velvet mask. She never wore it when fighting, restricted her vision, but in the throne room there would be no fighting.

In the courtyard before the Imperial Palace the Scorpion soldiers had piled a small hill of corpses, which they were preparing to burn. No time for proper rites. The ground was still covered in stains from the previous night's fighting. The Scorpion representatives at court had carried concealed weapons; most of the other courtiers were unarmed. Most of the other clans were trusting fools. Except for the Crane, sometimes.

The Imperial Palace was an incredible structure. It was built by the Scorpion, so what else was to be expected? The Scorpion engineers had filled it with traps and easy places to hide, and the fourth floor was taken up by the Shadow Maze, a labyrinth so deceptive that only someone of Hantei's blood, or a Scorpion master, could navigate it.

The Throne Room was on the second floor. The floor was made of plates of pure, unblemished white marble, contrasted with eight black pillars to represent the eight Kami who founded the Empire. One could dodge weave through the pillars to avoid notice, making secret deals without the Emperor realizing. The Emperor himself was to sit in the great Emerald Throne at the hall's far end. It was massive and green, with golden lion's heads carved into the armrests, and a perfectly round disk for the emperor to rest his head on. To either side were smaller seats for the Imperial children to sit on, so they could learn how to rule by example.

When Tomi was a little girl her mother had brought her to court to see how it was done. The space behind the pillars had been filled with men and women from all clans wearing all colors. One by one various petitioners came forward, presenting gifts, pleas, or problems to the Emperor. The whole court would come to life, voices would cry out and debate would fly. Then the Emperor would cut through the chatter to deliver his judgement.

It was not so today. Today the hall was silent and only bright Scorpion red was visible. A few members of the other clans had shown up, political opportunists, but they remained at the back, far from the throne. Even the Scorpion courtiers were silent, although it was out of respect, not fear.

Bayushi Shoju sat upon the throne. He had never been a strong man, he was gaunt, like Tomi, only not quite as much. He was dressed all in blood red armor, with a ferocious mask covering his face. He had been scarred and deformed as a child, with a crippled right arm. Whenever Tomi looked at him, she could never tell he was deformed. The mask forever covered that secret, and he carried his arm so well most simply assumed that he was left-handed. He was a masterful duelist, an ingenious politician, the most respected clan champion to lead the Scorpion in the last two centuries.

A woman with a red veil over her face was bowing before the Emperor. Tomi could tell at a glance she was Scorpion, and older, probably older than Tomi's mother.

"Great Lord," the woman began, "I am Shosuro Ineko. I have served you and your father in the court for many years. I have always loyally served the Scorpion Clan. But this is foolishness. Madness. The other great clans are mobilizing against us. You cannot talk the Lion down. Their armies alone could defeat us. But against the Lion, the Phoenix, the Dragon, the Crane, the Unicorn, and the Crab, we will not just be defeated. We will be crushed!"

The hall was silent.

Shoju leaned forward slowly. He put a hand on his chin. It looked as if he was thinking, very carefully. "Do you doubt me, Shosuro Ineko? Do you not think I have considered every factor at work? The Lion Clan's forces will be crushed and scattered. When they are defeated the other Great Clans will be brought to heel. Already, the Tortoise Clan, guardians of Golden Sun Bay, have sworn allegiance to me. The Great Clans will follow suit."

Tomi glanced at the two men in the corner who wore the Tortoise mon. They were shaking like leaves. It was true that the Tortise Clan held the Dawn Tower and Sunset Tower that guarded the mouth of the bay. Although the defenses were powerful, the Tortoise Clan were cowards, and merchants. They did not have the stomach to put up a fight.

"The Lion have four times the men we have in the capitol. How do you propose we defeat such an army?"

"I have no time for defeatists," Shoju dismissed, "Commit Seppuku now."

The old woman's eyes widened. "Great lord…I…" She looked around for allies, for some support. There were no friendly faces in the silent crowd. Without another word she took out her wakizashi and disemboweled herself, blood spraying onto the white marble.

Servants swiftly carried her body away. Then they flipped the bloodied marble plates, and in a handful of moments it was like no one had died in the hall.

* * *

After the old woman's death court wrapped up quickly. The Great Lord retired to the Emperor's council chamber, his council now. Emperor Hantei's body had been burned, his bones were already buried in the palace crypts. Although Hantei XXXVIII had never been the most competent Emperor, he had overseen a time of peace in the Empire.

 _The Thousand Years of Peace,_ Shoju thought to himself, _It may all come crashing down after today_. He tried to distance himself from such thoughts. He had made extensive preparations, laid the groundwork, manipulated the political landscape in all the right ways. His coup would succeed, he was sure of it.

It had been on his orders that the Yogo family had explored the Deep Cavern under the Kyuden Bayushi, grand palace of the Scorpion. They had found all manner of treasures in the deep places, things collected by prudent Scorpion Champions over the years. Among them was the Prophecies of Uikku, the Scrolls of Doom. Shoju had read every one of them, absorbed every detail, and when he was finished, he knew only one thing: if the Hantei dynasty continued, the Empire would fall into the darkness. And he had done what was necessary.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tomi, his niece, entered the room and bowed before him. They were alone in the small, airless space.

"Great Lord, my mother said you wished to speak to me."

"Yes," Shoju said, considering, "I want to know how the boy escaped. I have already spoken with the busi charged with eliminating him. They say only one Seppun escaped, clutching the child. He should have been exhausted by the time he got to you. So how did he escape?"

"There was another," the gaunt girl stammered, "A courtier. He came at me from behind, threw me off balance. Got lucky. I apologise for my failure, Great Lord. If you ask it of me, I will take my own life."

Shoju considered it for a moment. But he thought of a better use for her. He spoke slowly, formally. "Normally I would not hesitate. But you are my neice, my family. I do not want my family's blood to be she pointlessly. You still have a chance to redeem your failure niece. I have already sent certain... agents into the city to find the child. If you can find the last Hantei before them, you will be redeemed in my eyes. Fail… and do not even bother coming back."

Tomi raised her eyes. She looked at her uncle's mask. It was utterly expressionless, giving nothing away. A true Scorpion.

"Of course, Great Lord," she said, "I will find the child and kill it. I promise you."

"Good. Now go."

As she left, Shoju reflected on how the urge to survive could make a hunter relentless in the pursuit of her prey. Then his mind turned to other matters.

His spies informed him the Lion had an army of a quarter million men marching towards him. They were some of the most disciplined, well led troops in Rokugan. He would destroy them in the field, just as the other Clan's forces arrived.

He swept the last traces of doubt from his mind and got to work.


End file.
